The white circle ○ is a hollow outlined circle. Type 25CB then Alt+X in Word. "White" in Unicode names means unfilled, not the colour, so it draws in the current text colour. It pairs with the black circle to show an unselected state.
01 All shortcuts at a glance
| Platform | Shortcut | |
|---|---|---|
| Windows (any app) | Win+. or Win+; emoji/symbol picker, or Character Map (Win+R → charmap) |
|
| Mac | Control+Command+Space to open Character Viewer, search "White Circle" |
|
| Word / Outlook | Type 25CB, then press Alt+X |
|
| Linux (IBus) | Ctrl+Shift+U, then 25cb, then Enter |
|
| HTML / CSS | ○ · \25cb (CSS) |
02 Step by step, per platform
A real, followable procedure for every platform, not a thin restatement of the shortcut.
Windows
- Open Character Map: Win+R, type charmap, press Enter.
- Search or scroll for White Circle (U+25CB).
- Select it, click Copy, then paste where you need it.
Mac
- Press Control+Command+Space to open the Character Viewer.
- Type "White Circle" in the search field.
- Double-click the result to insert it.
Microsoft Word
- Type 25CB.
- Press Alt+X immediately after, it converts the hex code to ○.
03 Characters in this set
04 Troubleshooting & confusables
| Looks like it | But it's actually | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| ° (U+00B0) | Degree sign | For temperature and angles. It is far smaller and sits raised. |
| O as a letter | The Latin capital O | Never. The letter is an oval and will not align in a diagram. |
| ◯ (U+25EF) | Large circle | A bigger hollow circle for enclosing a character or annotating a diagram. |
05 FAQ
What is the Unicode code point for the white circle?
It is U+25CB, decimal 9675. There is no Windows Alt code for it.
Does "white" mean the colour white?
No. In Unicode shape names, white means hollow and black means filled. Both render in whatever colour the surrounding text uses.
Can I use it as an unchecked box?
Visually yes, though a real ballot box at U+2610 is more semantically appropriate. For an interactive form, use a genuine checkbox input rather than a character.
How do I make it bigger?
Use the large circle at U+25EF, or increase the font size. The character itself has no size variants beyond the encoded ones.
Why does it not line up with my text?
Geometric shapes are designed for diagrams, not for the text baseline, so vertical alignment varies by font. A small negative vertical offset in CSS usually fixes it.